This invention relates to boat lights generally, and more particularly to navigation lights which have a depressed, flush inoperative position and an upright exposed position wherein they may be activated to provide navigation light, and are manually movable between such positions.
Navigation lights for boats have been in use for many years and, in fact, are currently required on certain size boats by U.S. Coast Guard regulations. The forwardly facing navigation lights are red and green. If such light is on the bow of the boat, called a bow light, it usually is a combined red and green light with the green light pointing to the right or starboard, and the red light pointing to the left or port side of the boat. If the light is mounted on a vertical surface, such as the hull side or on the side of a cabin, and hereinafter referred to as a side light, there is a separate light mounted on each side of the boat, with the light on the starboard side being green and the light on the port side being red.
With prior art bow and side navigation lights, the light housing projects above the deck if it is a bow light, and if it is a side light, it projects from the side of the vertical surface whether or not in use. The lights of the instant invention, when in an operative position, project from the deck, hull or cabin where they are mounted and such a projecting light provides a hazard, since the deck or cabin mounted light may be tripped over bumped into or entangled while the hull mounted light may strike a dock, piling or the like and cause damage to the light or to the boat. It is therefore desirable to have a base plate which is secured to the deck, cabin or hull, which base plate contains a light carrying insert with the insert being movable between flush and projecting postions and being movable to such projecting position by power operating means automatically at such time as the light therein is turned on and, if it is a bow light, being returnable to its flush position by operation of its own weight or if it is a side light, it also includes a resilient means to return the light to its flush position and hold the same there.